The Safety and Cleanliness of Your Hotel Room

By Mike Grasso

In the past, I have reported on bed bugs and other critters sometimes found in hotel rooms. I also re-posted a video piece where undercover video captured some of the unsanitary practices hotel maids engage in. Luckily, these unfortunate situations are more often the exception than the rule. But even at mid and high-end hotels with a good housekeeping and maintenance staff on hand, there remain a few potential safety and cleanliness issues that you the guest should be aware of. I've posted six pictures below, can you find at least one potential "hazard" in each? My responses are outlined below.

1. Sofa: The visible stains on couches are usually spot treated by hotels; deep cleaning of sofa's is infrequent. Therefore, invisible stains such as blood, urine, saliva and semen would not be seen without a black light. Try to keep a barrier (i.e. clothing) between you and the sofa.

2. Phone and clock: Does the phone work? Important to check in the event an emergency were to strike. Be sure the time is correct, particularly if you are relying on this as an alarm clock.

3. Coffee maker and cups: Ceramic coffee mugs are a nice touch at hotels, but have been identified as items insufficiently or improperly cleaned by cleaning staff. The video that previously aired caught maids simply rinsing out cups (not washing), while other maids were observed them spraying them out with glass cleaner! Lesson here: Be sure you personally wash your coffee mug.

4. Bed: One of the first activities I do once checking into my room is to pull the comforter off completely. Never (not even once) have I observed comforters being removed from rooms for cleaning. Yet these can be the primary source of undesirable filth, stains and bacteria from countless previous guests.

5. Carpet: While hotels do deep clean their carpets periodically, they tend to accumulate mold, bacteria and fungus in between cleans as a result of dirt and spills. Vacuuming alone won't do the trick. So again, best to add a barrier (socks or slippers) between the carpet and your skin.

6. Window: Some things I consider are whether it will properly open in an emergency. Does it lock properly? (Note in the picture this is a room at ground level). If I open with window, is there a screen to protect from mosquito's or other insects entering?

What Lay On Your Tray Table?

I've written in the past on how nasty those airline tray tables can be and how you should bring your own disinfectant or wipes to clean these before use. To prove my point, I recently snapped this photo of a guy (idiot) on a flight down to Los Angeles with his shoes off and right foot laying atop on the tray table. (Sorry it's a bit blurry - but clearly I was going undercover for this investigative reporting) =) Seriously folks, I've seen far worse than this. For your own health, wipe down your travel table before using it.

inFLIGHTout Travel Tip: Wet Naps

Always carry wet naps or baby wipes when travelling. Exactly who was sitting in the airplane seat before you? When was the last time the airline wiped down the tray tables on the aircraft? Why are the interior windows soiled? Rather than imagine what the answers to these questions might be, simply wipe down your seat area once you board the aircraft. A brief 30-second wipe down will rid the area of germs and make your flying experience a bit more pleasant, and healthier.

How to Inspect Your Hotel Room for Bugs

Came across this informative post from Bug Girl on how to inspect hotel rooms for tiny critters. Deciding to post this has been bugging me because intuition tells me to stay away from cheap motels room and avoid this problem all together. But experience says otherwise. I've had a few unexpected guests pestering me during the night at mid-priced hotels in major cities, and had plenty of restful nights - alone, at lower end motels.

Have a look at what Bug Girl has to say on protecting yourself from checking into a room already occupied by little pests.

Flying Foul; Passengers Behaving Badly

(Thanks David)
Dropping nail clippings and melted chocolate in the seat back pocket; resting bare feet on the bulkhead and blowing noses into blankets other passengers will later use. All these are examples of inappropriate behavior some passengers partake in when flying.

In this article from the Wall Street Journal, author Scott McCartney shows us the less than glamorous side of airline travel - the flying foul.

InFLIGHTout Travel Tip - Wet Naps & Flying

Always carry wet naps or baby wipes when travelling.

Exactly who was sitting in the airplane seat before you? When was the last time the airline wiped down the tray tables on the aircraft? Why are the interior windows soiled? Rather than imagine what the answers to these questions might be, simply wipe down your seat area once you board the aircraft. A brief 30-second wipe down will rid the area of germs and make your flying experience a bit more pleasant, and healthier.